The
soul of the bear is supposed to carry off the souls of these things
with it on the far journey. A special vessel is used for cooking the
bear's flesh, and the fire must be kindled by a sacred apparatus of
flint and steel, which belongs to the clan and is handed down from
generation to generation, but which is never used to light fires
except on these solemn occasions. Of all the many viands cooked for
the consumption of the assembled people a portion is placed in a
special vessel and set before the bear's head: this is called
"feeding the head." After the bear has been killed, dogs are
sacrificed in couples of male and female. Before being throttled,
they are fed and invited to go to their lord on the highest
mountain, to change their skins, and to return next year in the form
of bears. The soul of the dead bear departs to the same lord, who is
also lord of the primaeval forest; it goes away laden with the
offerings that have been made to it, and attended by the souls of
the dogs and also by the souls of the sacred whittled sticks, which
figure prominently at the festival.
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